Tag: Depth

How Willie Gay Jr. can change the Saints’ defensive strategy

The Saints will likely still play a lot of two-linebacker sets, but could the addition of Willie Gay lead to more base formations in 2024?

The free agency signing of Willie Gay Jr. elevates the New Orleans Saints linebacker corps. Now that room is led by Demario Davis, Pete Werner and Gay. Impressive room but how often will they all see the field together will be interesting.

The Saints have long used two linebackers and three cornerbacks or safeties on the field as their most common defensive deployment with Dennis Allen calling plays. Is the Davis-Gay-Werner triumvirate enough to change that? It likely won’t become the leading defensive formation but you could see it more than you have in the past.

Not only is it a possibility, it may actually benefit the Saints to roll those three players out together. New Orleans has been porous against the run for the last couple of years. Having a heavier defensive would help strengthen that weakness. Each linebacker also has coverage skills that could make you more comfortable taking the risk of leaving a nickel corner off the field more often.

Kaden Ellis and Zach Baun were more downhill players working at the line of scrimmage. Davis, Gay and Werner can play forwards and backwards. That versatility accounts for covering tight ends.

It’s doubtful the Saints will put three linebackers on the field more than three cornerbacks in 2024. The skillsets of those linebackers, however, could make the Saints more comfortable putting out more three linebacker sets than in years past. It’s something to watch out for when the Saints regroup for training camp in just a few weeks.

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Backup left tackle Landon Young (knee) returns to Saints practice

Landon Young returned to Saints practice on Monday, having sat out a few weeks resting a knee injury. He brings important depth at both tackle spots:

This is good to see. The New Orleans Saints welcomed third-year offensive tackle Landon Young back to practice on Monday; he had been out for several weeks resting a knee injury. He was a candidate to start the season on injured reserve but the team wanted to give him time to try out his knee before putting him on ice for four weeks. It seems like he’ll be able to dodge that.

Young has been an important depth player for the Saints at both tackle spots. He played exclusively on the left side in college at Kentucky before being picked in the sixth round of the 2021 NFL draft, and the team cross-trained him at right tackle last season to see if he could be a viable backup for Ryan Ramczyk.

And that’s likely his role moving into the fall. Young can (hypothetically) fill in at either tackle spot in relief of Ramczyk or Trevor Penning, though it remains to be seen whether he can hold up for an extended look in the starting lineup. He’s only started four games in his career: 2021’s road loss to the Philadelphia Eagles (in which he suffered a season-ending injury) and 2022 matchups with the Los Angeles Rams and Carolina Panthers at home, also playing the majority of snaps in last season’s rematch with Philly. Two of those games have been at left tackle and the other two on the right side.

The Saints must be feeling optimistic after his return to practice. They released another backup lineman from the practice squad in Mark Evans II, one of their highest-valued rookie free agents. That leaves them with Trevor Penning expected to start at left tackle against the Tennessee Titans on Sunday and Young as his backup, though Andrus Peat or James Hurst is an option depending on how heavily they want to shake up the line in the event of an injury. Veteran right tackle Storm Norton is also still on the roster as a backup for Ramczyk.

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Bleacher Report: Saints may regret cutting cornerback Bradley Roby

Bleacher Report says the New Orleans Saints may regret cutting veteran cornerback Bradley Roby:

Few teams made as many surprising moves at the NFL roster cuts deadline as the New Orleans Saints this week, with the black and gold trading Pro Bowl kicker Wil Lutz to the Denver Broncos (for a reunion with his old coach Sean Payton) while releasing third-year punter Blake Gillikin (who is already getting tryouts with other teams as a free agent).

But Bleacher Report’s Gary Davenport writes that veteran cornerback Bradley Roby, not either of those specialists, is the roster cut that could come back to haunt the Saints:

“In Marshon Lattimore, Paulson Adebo and Alontae Taylor, the Saints have a quality trio of cornerbacks. Roby’s release was as much about his cap hit as his performance—he made 10 starts last season for the Saints and allowed a passer rating against of less than 80.

Roby may be the wrong side of 30, but he’s still a quality player with a Super Bowl win on his professional resume who will generate interest on the open market.

The problem for the Saints is that while Taylor showed promise as a rookie, he’s still an unproven commodity at the NFL level. Cornerback is one of the positions where NFL teams can never have too much depth.

All it will take is one injury for Saints head coach Dennis Allen to wish that Roby was still in the Big Easy.”

Roby may have been worth keeping around even if he wasn’t starting. The Saints didn’t really need the $3.3 million in salary cap savings (they were already under the cap by more than $11 million), even if that’s a lot to pay a backup. But as Davenport absorbed, depth suddenly looks like a vulnerability at cornerback.

Lattimore (who missed 10 games last year with injuries) is anchoring one side of the field. Paulson Adebo (who missed 4 games last season with his own injury) is manning the other sideline, with Alontae Taylor (also down 4 games in his rookie year) picking up a new position in the slot. It’s worth acknowledging that Roby had to sit out 4 games with an injury, too, but now instead of having him come off the bench the Saints are left with veteran backup Isaac Yiadom and undrafted rookie Anthony Johnson as their reserves.

The good news is that Ugo Amadi is backing up Taylor in the slot, so if there is an injury at another position the Saints can move some guys around and get a veteran on the field who they have some confidence in; Amadi’s summer was as impressive as anyone in New Orleans. But they’re another injury away from thrusting someone into a starting role who isn’t ready for it. That’s closer to the reality for most NFL teams than the position of strength they enjoyed last season. Hopefully injuries aren’t a problem on the back end so this won’t be an issue.

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Kendre Miller leaves Saints preseason game with injury

Rookie running back Kendre Miller left the Saints’ first preseason game with an injury. That position group can’t take many more losses:

This is something to monitor: rookie New Orleans Saints running back Kendre Miller was spotted leaving the blue medical tent for the locker room without his helmet. He also wasn’t wearing a shoe on his left foot, which suggests the source of the injury.

Teams are not required to file in-game injury reports during the preseason (nor are they asked to announce lists of inactive players before kickoff), so we’ll have to wait for official word on his status.

But the Saints can’t take many more hits at running back. They lost veteran backup Eno Benjamin for the year with an Achilles injury in training camp. Another reserve, former wide receiver Kirk Merritt, was unavailable to play Sunday with a groin injury. Jamaal Williams was already retired on the afternoon, meaning Miller’s exit from the game left just one running back still dressed out: undrafted rookie Ellis Merriweather.

Hopefully Miller won’t be out of action for any great length of time (though it’s worth remembering he was held out of most of the offseason program while recovering from a knee injury). Alvin Kamara is going to be unavailable for the first three games while serving an NFL-mandated suspension. If Miller is going to miss more time, the Saints may need to make running back more of a priority as they scour the free agent market.

Update: After the game, head coach Dennis Allen said that Miller was dealing with a sprained MCL. His last season at TCU ended with a meniscus injury to his right knee, but it appears he injured his left knee this time. Stay tuned for updates.

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Browns sign former University of Virginia WR Ra’Shaun Henry

The #Browns added depth to their receiving corps by adding Ra’Shaun Henry to their roster on Monday

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The Cleveland Browns shored up the depth of their receiving corps on Monday by signing University of Virginia product Ra’Shaun Henry, who entered the league last season as an undrafted free agent.

Originally signed by the Carolina Panthers following the 2022 NFL draft, Henry made a name for himself in Charlottesville as a reliable target who could make opposing defenses pay with his speed and creativity after the catch.

He tallied 34 catches for 603 yards and three touchdowns for the Cavaliers in 2021, good for an average of 17.7 yards per reception in his standout senior season.

Despite his proven production at the collegiate level, Henry should be considered a longshot to make the Browns’ 53-man roster, though he may have upside as a developmental piece of their practice squad. Watch for Henry to do his best to make a good impression on Cleveland’s coaching staff during the team’s mandatory minicamp as he tries to secure his place on the Browns’ depth chart for the 2023 season.

DC Jim Schwartz looks to leverage defensive line depth during 2023 season

Defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz is looking forward to overwhelming opponents with the #Browns’ exceptionally deep defensive line in 2023

Teams in the NFL have to win the battle in the trenches to win games, and Cleveland Browns defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz knows all too well how much of an advantage he has with the defensive line talent he has at his disposal.

In a recent interview after practice at the Browns’ OTAs, Schwartz told the media about his plan to leverage the depth he has up front to overwhelm opposing offensive lines.

“I think we got a lot of interchangeable spots,” Schwartz explained. “We’ll play a lot of guys up front. We’re not just going to play four guys. We’ll roll through eight, maybe even nine guys at times, trying to keep guys fresh and keep them throwing 100 mph fastballs.

“The tempo that we want those guys to play, we need to rotate fresh troops in. Offensive lines don’t sub, but we can. We can keep the pressure on those guys and we can play to a high standard with that depth.”

With the likes of Myles Garrett and newly acquired edge rusher Za’Darius Smith to anchor the outside of the line on passing downs, Schwartz should have no issue finding consistent production from his front four.

Derrick Ansley expounds on the Chargers’ depth at safety

Derrick Ansley said that he is still bullish on the team’s depth in the positional room.

The Chargers addressed multiple positions this offseason, but safety remains a need. However, defensive coordinator Derrick Ansley said that he is still bullish on the team’s depth in the positional room.

In comments made during a press conference at the Chargers’ rookie minicamp, Ansley made his confidence in the unit clear.

[We have] good competition. We have competition at every spot in the secondary, especially safety. You have Derwin James [Jr.], who can play multiple spots. You have Alohi [Gilman] that has played a lot of ball around here. You have JT [Woods], we have a lot of expectations for him this year. It’s going to be a really competitive group. Mark Webb [Jr.] is in that mix, Michael Jacquet, Raheem Layne. That group is very competitive. A lot of different skillsets in that group, which is what you need at safety.

2022 third-round pick JT Woods was taken with the idea of playing him as the deep safety to allow Derwin James to move all over the field. But that never came to fruition as Woods struggled as a tackler in his limited defensive snaps and was a non-factor defensively.

The Chargers are hopeful that Woods’ play will improve and that he can become the starter. But he will have to beat out Alohi Gilman, who played well in 2022. Additionally, they liked what Raheem Layne brought as a rookie last season so he could be in the mix.

Ansley’s faith in the talent currently available to him is a good sign that the team is in a good position moving forward.

Where does Packers roster still need depth entering Day 3?

Assessing the depth of the Packers roster entering Day 3 of the 2023 draft. Green Bay has nine Day 3 picks.

The Green Bay Packers added a premium player at edge rusher and used three Day 2 picks on pass-catchers to start the 2023 draft.

Brian Gutekunst still has nine total picks to make on Saturday.

Where does the Packers still depth entering Day 3? Let’s take a look:

Defensive line: Lukas Van Ness might do some interior pass-rushing, but this position group still needs depth. There’s only five under contract and three locks to make the 53-man roster.

Wide receiver: Jayden Reed was a start, but expect the Packers to add more. While the receiver depth chart now has six players, the Packers usually bring at least 10 to training camp.

Running back: The futures of Aaron Jones and A.J. Dillon are a little cloudy past 2023, and Patrick Taylor and Tyler Goodson shouldn’t stop the Packers from using a Day 3 pick on a running back.

Kicker: The Packers will want competition for Parker White, but is there another draftable kicker available after Jake Moody went in the third round?

Safety: The depth here is okay after retaining Rudy Ford and Dallin Leavitt and signing Tarvarius Moore, but talent is required. The right rookie pick could be an early starter.

Quarterback: The Packers need a backup to start developing behind Jordan Love. Danny Etling is the only other quarterback on the roster.

No depth required? The Packers have 13 offensive linemen under contract, but this team almost always takes at least one lineman in the draft…The linebacker depth chart features four veterans, and Tariq Carpenter is expected to start the 2023 season at linebacker…Edge rusher has six veterans with regular season experience in Green Bay and now Van Ness…Cornerback returns eight players from last season and has nine total under contract…Punter and long snapper are in good shape.

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Buccaneers sign former Chargers OL Matt Feiler

Matt Feiler has found a new home with the Buccaneers.

The Chargers saw another player find a new team in free agency on Thursday when offensive lineman Matt Feiler agreed to terms on a new contract with the Buccaneers.

Feiler was cut by Los Angeles earlier in the offseason due to salary cap constraints, which allowed them to save a significant amount of money by parting ways.

Signed two offseasons ago, Feiler was solid in his first season as a Charger. However, he took a step back this past season. Feiler allowed six sacks, 40 quarterback pressures and 31 hurries.

 

Though he may not be a household name at this point in his career, Feiler has proven that he has all the tools necessary to be a consistent presence on any offensive line. The Buccaneers will benefit from his ability to mentor younger linemen next season.

Saints re-sign LB Andrew Dowell, adding depth and a big help on special teams

The New Orleans Saints announced that they have re-signed linebacker Andrew Dowell, adding depth behind Demario Davis and a big help on special teams:

This is good to see: the New Orleans Saints announced Monday that they have re-signed linebacker Andrew Dowell, one of their few restricted free agents. Dowell has spent his entire NFL career with New Orleans after first signing with them as an undrafted free agent out of Michigan State back in 2019 — after starting out on the practice squad, he earned a roster spot with his skills on special teams, where he’s played 340 and 377 snaps over the last two years.

He also brings a nice boost to the depth chart behind Demario Davis and Pete Werner. Dowell could be on the same path as Kaden Elliss last year, having proven his value in the kicking game before earning greater opportunities on defense. His coaches and teammates know him well and he could be in line for a bigger role in 2023. We’ll just have to wait and see how things shake out in the 2023 draft and as free agency marches on.

Right now, the Saints linebacker corps includes Dowell, Davis, Werner, Nephi Sewell, Ryan Connelly, and Ty Summers, with Zack Baun and D’Marco Jackson returning from season-ending injuries.

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